What is contents insurance for students?

Heading off to uni? It’s all about new digs, new mates and new adventures. But don’t forget to protect your stuff. Student contents insurance covers your things in student halls or a shared house or flat, from clothes and kitchen gear to your phone, laptop or bike.

If there’s a fire, flood, theft or even a clumsy accident, your policy can help cover the cost of repairs or replacements. It’s not a legal must-have, but it’s a smart shout. Remember, your landlord’s insurance will only cover damage to the building – not your stuff.

And let’s be honest, things can go wrong. A spilled coffee could fry your laptop, your bike might get nicked from outside your student accommodation, or someone could swipe your phone from the kitchen in shared accommodation. Contents insurance helps take the sting out of those unexpected surprises.

Why do I need contents insurance if I am a student?

If you’re renting while studying, this type of insurance protects the belongings you’ve brought with you. Whether you’re in halls or a shared house or flat, it’s good to know you’re covered.

Your landlord’s insurance? That’s for the building only – not your clothes, laptop or anything else you’ve bought yourself. And if something happens that makes your rented home unliveable, some policies can even help you pay for a temporary stay somewhere else.

Here’s why contents insurance for students can be worth having:

  • Protect your valuables: Personal possessions include cash, clothes, tech, musical instruments, TVs, furniture and more.

  • Avoid big bills: Replacing lost or damaged items can be expensive.

  • Cover everyday mishaps: Think coffee on a laptop or a dropped phone.

  • Help with temporary accommodation: If you can’t stay in your room, some policies help cover a hotel or other short-term stay.

  • Cover items on the move: Some policies cover your stuff outside your home too, including your bike and jewellery.

What does students’ contents insurance cover?

Student contents insurance helps pay to replace or repair your belongings if they’re stolen, damaged or destroyed. Here’s what’s typically covered, depending on the insurer and policy you choose:

  • Damage from disasters: Fire, smoke, storms, flooding or burst pipes – if your stuff gets damaged by events like these, you’re usually covered.

  • Theft and attempted theft: If your belongings are stolen or damaged in a break-in, your policy should help with replacements and repairs.

  • New-for-old replacements: If something can’t be fixed, many policies will replace it with a brand-new equivalent, whether it’s a sound system, laptop or TV.

  • Alternative accommodation: If your accommodation becomes unliveable due to damage, some policies help with the cost of temporary housing and storing your belongings.

Depending on the policy, some of these may also be included as standard or as an optional extra:

  • Accidental damage cover: This covers life’s little slip-ups, like knocking over a drink onto your laptop. Great if you want extra reassurance for everyday clumsiness.

  • Personal possessions cover: Want cover for your phone, smart watch or laptop while you’re out and about? This protects your belongings even when they’re outside your student digs – whether you’re in the library, the pub or travelling home for the holidays.

  • Bicycle cover: Some policies let you include bikes in your personal possessions cover. Worth considering if you rely on your cycle for getting to lectures or for weekend rides.

  • High-value items: Got something worth over the usual single item limit (like an expensive watch or designer handbag)? You may need to list it separately to make sure it’s properly covered.

Each insurer will have different limits and rules for optional extras, so it’s worth checking the details carefully. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re protected for – both inside your place and out in the world.

What isn’t covered?

No insurance can cover absolutely everything, so it’s important to check what’s excluded from your policy. Common things not covered by contents insurance include:

  • Damage to the actual building, as this should be insured separately by the landlord or other property owner.

  • Loss or damage to any contents owned by your landlord.

  • General wear and tear.

  • Problems resulting from poor workmanship or design faults.

  • Any events or damage that happened before your policy started, or situations you knew about beforehand.

  • Loss, damage, or liability caused by deliberate or criminal actions by you or someone you live with.

  • Damage caused by domestic animals, such as chewing, scratching, tearing or fouling.

Make sure you read the full policy details carefully to understand all the exclusions.

Will my possessions be covered away from my student address?

Heading home for the holidays? Taking your laptop to the library or your phone out to campus? Student contents insurance usually only covers your belongings while they’re inside your term-time accommodation. So if something gets lost, stolen or damaged away from your student address, you might not be covered.

But there’s good news: some policies will cover personal possessions when you’re out and about, either as standard or an add-on. That means your phone, laptop, headphones and more could be covered whether you're at uni, travelling home for half term or just grabbing coffee between lectures.

If your things are regularly on the move, it’s definitely worth considering this optional extra. Just check what’s included and the claim limits, so you know exactly what’s protected, wherever you are.

How much does contents insurance for students cost?

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), for contents-only cover, the average price paid in Q3 2024 was £138 for the year. But how much contents insurance will cost for you will depend on factors like your postcode, claims history and the level of cover you go for.

Here’s what could influence the cost of your student contents insurance:

Where you live

Areas with higher crime rates or a history of theft can increase your premium.

Security features

Having things like door and window locks, or CCTV can sometimes bring the cost down.

The value of your belongings

The more you own, and the higher the value of your items, the more it may cost to insure them.

Your claims history

If you’ve made claims in the past, it can bump up your premium.

Your excess

Picking a higher voluntary excess – that’s the amount you agree to pay yourself if you make a claim, on top of any fixed excess – can help bring down the cost of your premium.

Remember, it’s always worth shopping around when your renewal comes up. Even small differences in cover or excess can make a big difference to the premium.

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Answering your questions about contents insurance for students

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Page updated on 12th September 2025, Reviewed by Richard Groom